dinner with jo ruth

Seared Wild Salmon
Warm Orzo Salad
No-Knead Bread

After not killing anyone at the grocery store (I am so mature), I came home, put on my iPod, and vacuumed to the musical geniuses Kanye West, Joan Jett, and Hall & Oates, which lifted my spirits significantly.

So did the sight and smell of Chris's dough on its second rise in the windowsill of my office (where I'd stashed it so it would stay warm when I opened the windows in the rest of the house).


I didn't have much going on in the appetizer department, but Chris contributed some candy ("Chris, can I throw the SweeTarts away?" "No way"), and they're selling Chick Peace hummus again at City Market, praise Jah (or praise whomever the hippies thank for hummus).


The orzo salad is delicious and easy to make, and it was all Chrysanne's idea to serve it under a piece of fish (I demanded yesterday that she tell me exactly what to make for dinner, because I knew I wasn't up for doing anything taxing like, say, thinking). But once again, Chris's bread was the highlight of the meal. I've been buying this delicious, salty butter, and I'm pretty sure I could invite people over and serve warm bread, the butter, and a bottle of wine, and no one would complain.


If anyone did complain, it might come to fisticuffs. More likely, however, is that I'd fling myself to the now dog-hair-free floor and cry.

Warm Orzo Salad
adapted from the Penny Cluse Cafe

4 cups cooked orzo pasta (cooled and lightly oiled)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
½ cup diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 cups packed fresh spinach
½ cup good quality feta cheese
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

In a large sauté pan, combine the oil, olives, capers, garlic, tomatoes, and parsley. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with the spinach and cook on high until the spinach shows signs of wilting and the ingredients are warm (not cooked). Add the cooked orzo to the pan and toss once or twice, just so the ingredients intermingle. Distribute the feta on top and put into a warm oven for a few minutes. Turn out onto a warmed serving platter.

CHRIS'S RECIPE RATINGS & NOTES

Seared Salmon over Warm Orzo Salad: Chris: 3.75 out of 5 Entree stars
["I thought the fish was quite delicious. I thought the risotto was quite delicious. You know, it was a little olive-y, but all in all I thought it was a delicious, healthy dinner."]

No-Knead Bread: Chris: 3.5 out of 5 Bread stars
["I thought it was a good one of those loaves, but out of any loaf of bread on earth?"]